No tax money for Larrousse

Gerard Larrousse has confirmed that the F1 team which bears his name will be at the first race in Brazil in 10 days time, but the Frenchman still needs a lot of money if the team is to make it to the end of the 1995 season. Larrousse had been hoping that the French government would come to his rescue and give him money from a special fund established to replace tobacco and alcohol sponsorships banned by the controversial Evin's Law. French sporting club presidents Jean-Marie Balestre (automobiles), Jean-Pierre Mougin (motorbikes) and Jean Chalvidant (powerboats) recently visited the Matignon Palace in Paris for meetings with Prime Minister Edouard Balladur's staff to discuss the probleml; and Balladur last week announced that the fund would be extended and that there will be US$ 14 million available in 1995 - down considerably from the US$37 million which was spent last year. And Larrousse won't be getting any of it because the politicians do not want to invest in F1.

This means Larrousse will once again have to try to convince French industry that he is worthy of sponsorship. Last year he had a sizeable budget from Kronenbourg, Elf and Gauloises Blondes, but little of that is expected to be seen this year.